COVID-19 vaccine eligibility: changes over time

Viruses change over time and that means our public health response does too, which includes our vaccination programmes. Consultant in Public Health from our Vaccination and Immunisation Division, Dr Daniel Chandler, outlines changes to this year’s COVID-19 vaccination programme in our latest blog.

Our experience of COVID-19 has changed over the years. While social distancing, mask wearing and testing were once everyday requirements, this is no longer the norm. That said, COVID-19 continues to circulate and if we do have symptoms, we should still stay away from people at increased risk of becoming more unwell from respiratory infections if possible, and not visit hospitals or care homes.

Similarly, recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination have also changed. Scotland’s vaccination programme is set by the Scottish Government, guided by the independent, expert advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Recommendations are based on the risk of disease and the benefits of vaccination for different groups of individuals. The advice is reviewed every year, so it’s always important to check which vaccines you are eligible for.

For winter 2025, the following groups are being invited for the COVID-19 vaccine:

• adults aged 75 years and over
• residents in a care home for older adults
• individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed.

These groups are the same as for spring 2025, but different from last winter. This change is in line with JCVI recommendations for winter 2025, based on the very latest data and research findings.

Thanks to widespread vaccination and natural exposure to the virus, levels of immunity have increased across the population, and this means COVID-19 has become milder for many people. There are now far fewer hospital stays and severe cases than at the beginning of the pandemic – which is excellent news.

With this shift, the COVID-19 vaccination programme has moved its focus to protecting those who remain most at risk of serious COVID-19 related disease due to their age or clinical condition. Current COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing hospitalisation and severe illness, and we strongly encourage those who are at highest risk to take up the offer to be protected.

Currently available vaccines do not always prevent a person from getting mild COVID-19 infections or passing on the virus to others. This contrasts with the flu vaccine, which can do both of those things, and is part of the reason why eligibility for flu vaccine is wider. Data tells us that those who are most at risk from COVID-19 currently are older people, residents in care homes, and those with a weakened immune system. The COVID-19 vaccine provides the most effective and direct way of protecting these groups who continue to be eligible. 

Everyone wants to protect their own health and their loved ones, especially those in caring roles. However, for many people, COVID-19 vaccines cannot provide protection against milder disease, or in seeking to prevent passing the virus onto loved ones. For this reason, people aged 65-74, those in clinical risk groups (other than immunosuppression), pregnant women, frontline health and social care workers, and unpaid carers are no longer eligible for COVID-19 vaccination.

Although these groups are no longer eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, they will still be called forward for seasonal flu vaccine this winter, as this will provide the best possible protection against both mild and more severe disease due to flu, and reduce the risk of passing flu infection on.

Further information on this winter’s seasonal vaccination programmes against flu and COVID-19 is available here: Winter vaccines | NHS inform

Further information on COVID-19 is available here: Coronavirus (COVID-19) | NHS inform

Scottish Government information on the winter seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccination programme 2025/26 is available here: NHS Scotland - Publications.

Flu and COVID-19 vaccine eligibility is guided by expert advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Read the latest advice here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026-jcvi-advice/jcvi-statement-on-covid-19-vaccination-in-2025-and-spring-2026